Page 30 - Campus Security & Life Safety, November/December 2022

Hospital Security
calling down to the command center with a search request that could take an hour or more without AI.
Hospitals also keep building “watch lists” of people whose previous histories prohibit them from being on hospital grounds. Those indi- viduals can be identified by their license plates while they’re still in the parking garage, and security teams can intercept them before they enter the facility. If they do get past the front doors, their movements can be tracked throughout the building.
Drug diversion policies are more common in hospitals, especially those with large quantities of pharmaceuticals or other attractive targets for theft. Nearly every hospital uses a Pyxis MedStation, mobile pharmacies designed for automated medication dispensing and allocation.
These carts are stocked with the daily medications needed for a floor or area, and they are only available to authorized users. How- ever, unauthorized personnel using stolen or forged credentials can unscrew the backs of these carts for easy access to the drugs. With the right cameras constantly watching, if a pallet of medication is sud- denly short one box, it’s easy to filter a search to specific areas and locate the missing assets.
A perfect example of new technology solutions for healthcare is Hanwha Techwin’s integration of IP pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras with a leading remote sitting video platform. Hospitals can now per- form 24/7 centralized patient monitoring and conduct remote obser- vation of high-risk patient rooms and specialized units.
The success of a joint solution like this comes down to the balance of enhancing patient care while creating more efficiency. It allows key staff, especially nurses, to use their time for higher-value activities without getting bogged down with time-intensive, tedious tasks.
It’s a welcome alternative to having a live person act as a “sitter” in a room monitoring a high-risk patient prone to falling out of bed or generally harming themselves. Beyond the health implications for the patient in these instances, the hospital has to pay for additional med- ication, new surgeries, and extended stays because that patient was
Ad Index
harmed while in the care of the hospital.
Hospital staff can remotely check on patients from a central com-
mand center at the nurses’ station, keep an eye on various in-room equipment using motorized camera lenses, or view which way the patient’s body is turned.
They can look for different behaviors or movements that might indicate a person is about to fall or harm themselves, and then com- municate to either the patient directly or alert other personnel to preemptively resolve the situation.
This shifts the patient care process from reactive to proactive, ulti- mately leading to better-quality care and a safer environment for everyoneinvolved.
Hospitals often adjust their surveillance priorities to focus on dif- ferent areas or activities. Removing an entire camera mount and housing to install a new camera is traditionally a time-consuming process. It requires an entire area to be shut down and dust-tents deployed to ensure proper air quality if a ceiling or wall is penetrated.
Cameras with a modular design, like the Hanwha Techwin X-Plus for example, use a magnetic camera module to make replacement or upgrading easier and faster. Remove a few screws, open the housing, and clip in the new module, and a unit is up and running in a few minutes.
Beyond safety, patient care, and efficiency, installing the right sur- veillance infrastructure also adds to a hospital’s competitive advan- tage. What doctor or nurse wouldn’t want to work for a facility with a reputation for being forward-thinking and willing to embrace the latest and greatest?
Looking ahead, the potential applications for security cameras in a healthcare setting are limitless, but the one constant will always remain achieving a balance of quality care, safety and, of course, effi- ciency.
Chris Lennon is the Healthcare Business Development Manager for Hanwha Techwin.
30
campuslifesecurity.com | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
Advertiser....................................................Page.................................................. URL
Aiphone Corporation.........................................17.............................................................www.aiphone.com
ASSA ABLOY DSS...........................................3................................................................www.assaabloydss.com/CSLS-K12 CEIA USA...........................................................31.............................................................www.ceia-usa.com
IP Video Corporation ........................................ 23 ............................................................. www.ipvideocorp.com
IP Video Corporation ........................................ 22 ............................................................. www.ipvideocorp.com
Johnson Controls Security Systems, LLC .... 2................................................................ www.xaapbuildings.com
Paxton Access, Inc............................................11.............................................................www.paxton-access.com/us/training Paxton Access, Inc............................................10.............................................................www.paxton-access.com
Safety Technology Int'l, Inc .............................. 15 ............................................................. www.sti-usa.com/sp498
Safety Technology Int'l, Inc .............................. 25 ............................................................. www.sti-usa.com/sp552
Salient Systems Corporation .......................... 32 ............................................................. www.salientsys.com
Salient Systems Corporation .......................... 27 ............................................................. www.salientsys.com
Uline ..................................................................... 13 ............................................................. www.uline.com
Viking Electronics .............................................. 7................................................................ www.vikingelectronics.com
Viking Electronics .............................................. 19 ............................................................. www.vikingelectronics.com
Zenitel USA, Inc.................................................5................................................................www.zenitel.com